At Iowa Diamond, you will be able to follow the Cardinal Rules of Diamond Buying:

• Never buy a diamond that has already been set into a mounting. Too many things can be hidden by prongs or bezels and you won’t be able to judge the diamond’s body color.
• Never buy a diamond under jewelry display lights or sunlight because they make all diamonds look good. Insist on 5000 Kelvin color corrected daylight bulbs with no other light sources around to contaminate the viewing area.
• Select your diamond with your eyes on the basis of beauty, not with your ears on the basis of technical description. Remember that technical descriptions only classify rarity, not beauty.
• Look at diamonds next to each other in a diamond grading tray. It will help you to make an informed decision about your purchase. Two diamonds that have virtually the same description on paper will almost always look different from each other when you view them together. And remember that the color of a diamond is graded through the side of the stone.
• Set a budget and stay with it.
• Make certain the Color & Clarity Description Scales you are using are those created by the Gemological Institute of America and not another laboratory.
• View all the diamonds you are considering in the same place at the same time and under strict diamond grading conditions with the aid of a 10x triplet loupe, the industry standard for diamond grading.
• Work with a company that has a Graduate Gemologist (GIA) and Certified Diamontologists (DCA) on staff who can answer difficult questions that may come up.

As you are shopping for your engagement ring and diamond, promise yourself that you will not violate one of those rules. We are professional diamond buyers and we wouldn’t!